Think Like a Man
by Pretty Persistent
Summary: Inspired by Cat's line in The Blonde Squad: "Robbie, you don't know how guys think." / Cabbie, Candre, Trobbie
1. Cat

_A/N: Hey guys! I spend a lot of time writing Beck, so I decided to do a short piece writing for a few other characters. This will be four parts, and I have part two almost finished, so if I get some feedback, I'll have that up soon! ;)_

_Also, I'm still working on the second part of my Beck-centric fic. It's a two-shot, and part one is up, so if you're interested, I would love feedback on that, as well._

**Think Like a Man**

* * *

_**I. Oh, how you tried to cut me down to size by telling dirty lies to my friends.**_

Teen magazines.

They tell her how to flirt; what to wear on a first _and _second date; what type of guy is best for her; and whether or not she's ready for a relationship.

But Cat has looked through every one of Trina's _Seventeen _and _Teen Vogue _magazines and she still hasn't found an answer to what to do when your gay best friend suddenly falls in love with you.

Rolling on her back, Cat looks over at Trina who is viciously blowing on her freshly painted toe nails. "What do you think of Robbie?" she asks.

"Uh. I don't," Trina says, raising her eyebrows with assured obviousness.

"I think I like him," Cat says, chewing on her lip as she twirls her red hair around her finger.

"What?" Her best friend laughs, but Cat isn't sure if she's laughing at her or with her. People often tell Cat that they are laughing with her, but she doesn't think she's said anything funny—especially this time. "You don't like Robbie," Trina mutters, shaking her head.

"No, I think I do!" Cat declares. "I just always thought he was gay, or like, secretly a girl, or something… But I think he really is just a guy who likes girls."

"So?" Trina scoffs.

"_So_, I think the girl he likes is me!" Cat smiles to herself, ignoring Trina's look of disgust and disapproval.

Suddenly, everything Robbie has ever said to her doesn't seem so gross. She thinks it might just be right.

xxx

On Sunday, after leaving the Vega's, Cat calls Robbie and asks him if she can come over. It doesn't feel like she's just going to her best guy friend's house anymore, though.

Cat thinks doing her hair and make-up is fun, but hanging out with Robbie on a weekend is something she would usually wear leggings for. But today, she puts on her black spanks and her favorite blue dress and a pair of silver Keds.

It makes her feel all giggly that there's a boy she wants to wear a dress for.

After a quick bus ride, she finds herself on his front porch—heart fluttering as she stands there twirling her hair.

"Cat?" Robbie says, while opening his door and stepping outside.

"Yes, Robbie. It's me," she murmurs, mindlessly grinning at him like a giddy little school girl. But when she thinks about it, that's technically what she is. Why are people always expecting her to behave otherwise?

He burrows his eyebrows, but motions for her to follow him inside. "You didn't even ring the doorbell, Cat. Were you just going to stand there?" he asks, suddenly handing her a glass of lemonade in a tall glass with a straw.

"Oh! I guess I got nervous and forgot…" She takes a sip of her lemonade and sits down on Robbie's blue couch. "The bubbles make my tummy feel better!" Cat declares, giggling, and licks her lips before putting the straw back in her mouth.

"Why, uh—what are you nervous about?" he asks, chuckling a bit anxiously himself. He scratches his arm, watching her all the while as he moves closer to the sofa.

She shrugs and smirks up at him with the straw between her teeth. Robbie practically giggles as he sits down next to her. Cat thinks he's a lot cuter, now that she likes him.

"So…what do you wanna do?" he asks, resting his hands on his knees. "We could watch a movie!"

Cat twirls a piece of hair around her finger, while using the other to take her gum out of her mouth and place it in his hand. "I was thinking that you could sing your song to me again," she says, coyly.

"Oh—okay! Just let me go get my guitar. And…get rid of this." He starts to get up, staring at the orange, sticky mess in his hand.

But Cat immediately pulls him back down onto the couch by his clean hand and leans in to kiss him. Her lips are sweet from the gum and his are wet and soft and full, and she thinks she could kiss them forever.

But apparently he doesn't, because he pulls away and chuckles lightly. "Oh, Cat… You're so silly," he says, playfully punching her shoulder. She can see his fingers clenching her gum in his hand and she thinks it's _silly _that he can do that, but not kiss her. "I thought you wanted to hear my song?"

"I thought you liked me!" she shrieks, standing up from the couch.

"I do like you, Cat! A lot," he tells her, reaching for her hand before he realizes it's the one covered in gum. Sighing, he grabs a tissue and tries to wipe it off. "I just—I had no idea you liked me back."

"Well, I do!" she shouts, still unable to lower her tone. Her eyes are wide and her lips pouted as she looks back at the boy in glasses. But she quickly folds her arms across her chest and stares down at her shoes.

"Cat… You're like, my best friend." He smiles at her and tilts her chin up, and it makes her smile a bit, too. "I just don't want to rush the transition from friendship to romance and risk messing anything up. You mean too much to me."

Cat is not entirely sure what that means, but it sure feels good when he pulls her into his arms.

xxx

Two weeks later, Cat and Robbie still haven't changed their relationship status. Robbie says he doesn't want to rush it while they are still 'transitioning' and he doesn't want to bring everyone else into the evolution of their relationship. But she thinks that's weird, because Beck and Jade are constantly changing theirs. And he only gives her small pecks, and if they're in public, nothing more than a hug.

Still, Cat has never even been in a relationship that has lasted more than two weeks, so she figures they must be doing something right.

When she doesn't find Robbie at school that morning, she decides to head out to the café to see if anyone else is out there and is quite happy to find Andre—mainly, because she has something to tell him and Cat loves telling people things.

"Andre, I have something to tell you!" she declares excitedly before she even slides into the seat next to him.

"What's up, Little Red?" he asks, his mouth-full of bagel, which makes her giggle and almost—but just _almost_—forget.

"Okay, Tori wants me to tell you that she does NOT like you," she says in complete seriousness, nodding her head.

"Say what?" His braids flip when he turns his head toward her, appearing offended.

"Mhm." Cat nods again, shrugging this time.

"Cat, sweety, are you sure about that? Tori and I are good friends. Why would she tell you to tell me she doesn't like me?" he asks.

"Oh… Oh no!" She lets out a quiet, but high-pitched gasp and clamps her hands over her mouth. "She told me NOT to tell you that she likes you," she whispers, slowly lowering her hands to reveal the worried expression on her face.

Trina had been avoiding her ever since she told her how she felt about Robbie, which gave Cat more time to hang out with Tori. Once Cat informed the other Vega about her budding relationship, the other Vega embraced the news and shared some of her own.

"Wait… Seriously?" Andre asks, after a long silence.

"Yes, but please don't tell her I told you!" Cat shouts frantically. But the look of worry is soon replaced with a mischievous grin. "Unless…you like her back?" She wriggles her eyebrows at her friend.

He sighs briefly, staring at the table, before looking over at her. "Well—I don't know. I mean, Tori's my best friend. If we were going to be together, don't you think it would have happened by now? And what if she changes her mind? She and I have both dated a lot since knowing each other, and I don't want to ruin our friendship over something that may turn out to be nothing, after all!"

"Well, I've had a lot of boyfriends, too. Maybe you've been so busy trying to find the right person that you didn't realize they were right there in front of you the whole time!" Cat grins proudly along with her declaration.

Andre chuckles, but she can tell he's not laughing at her. Usually, she can't tell—but Andre never makes her feel stupid.

"That's really smart, Cat," he tells her, and she smiles even wider.

"Nah, that's just what happened with me and Robbie…" she says, blushing a bit.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that!" Andre smiles a bit and Cat hopes that means that she and Robbie are almost officially boyfriend and girlfriend. "I'm really happy for you guys."

"Hey, me too!" She grins and playfully hits him on the arm. Cat is always excited to have a guy to talk about, but when she thinks about it, there isn't much to say.

"What's wrong, Cat?" he asks, right as her face falls. It cheers her up a bit that he notices, even though Cat's expressions are anything but subtle.

"I just wish Robbie was as happy as we are…" she mutters, pouting slightly as she plays with the ends of her hair.

Andre frowns and turns toward her. "Cat, what are you talking about? Everyone knows that Robbie has had a huge crush on you forever—if you excuse the whole Trina thing. He's got to be ecstatic that you like him back."

Whenever she hears that from someone, Cat always wonders why she didn't notice sooner. But Robbie never really acted all that interested in her. The only sign he really gave was the song he wrote, which she didn't really get, at first. Actually, she still doesn't get it, but Tori told her that it means he likes her.

"Well, yeah, he _says _that all the time…but he doesn't really act like it."

Andre sighs and pats Cat on the shoulder. "Robbie's…weird. You and Robbie have been friends for a long time, and he probably thought that was all you would ever be—."

"Why?" she asks, without any hint of emotion either way. She hasn't always liked Robbie, but she doesn't see any reason why she shouldn't.

"Well, 'cause, Cat! You're funny, and talented, and smokin'. Robbie's a great guy and all, but he's not exactly smooth. I'm sure he's just really nervous and he wants to be good enough for you," Andre tells her. She loves that he always compliments people so effortlessly.

Cat smiles, and when she hears the bell ring, she quickly gives Andre a tight hug before getting up.

"Hang in there, Little Red."


	2. Trina

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback, follows, and favorites! Hope you guys enjoy part two. As always, I'd love to hear what you think._

**Think Like a Man**

* * *

_**II. He said, just walk like a man; talk like a man; walk like a man, my son.**_

Trina has set it up so that she gets alerts to her PearPhone any time Cat or Robbie update their _Slap!_ page. Every little 'ping' makes her heart skip a beat, but it's usually just Cat posting a stupid question about why certain fruits are certain colors—and what does everyone think about the fruit vs. color orange debate?

Cat is her best friend, and they have always gotten along well. They have a lot in common, even though Trina thinks she is a lot smarter than Cat. But they connect in ways most people wouldn't understand, because a lot of other people don't understand _them_.

Trina makes a point to ignore most of the kids in Tori's grade. Well, she makes a point to ignore most people, period, unless it's a cute guy. But not Cat…okay, unless she's telling her to stop talking, but that is completely different.

She and Cat were friends before Tori came to Hollywood Arts, and she doesn't understand why everything had to change _so _much once that happened.

Trina has always craved attention, and any shrink will tell you that it's because she never got it from her parents. They didn't pay much attention to her or Tori, really. They were nice and they always took care of their daughters, but when it came down to what they wanted to do or what the kids wanted to do, their own wants always came first.

So when they were younger, Tori was the one who paid attention to her. She looked up to her older sister, going to her for advice on everything from fashion to boys. Of course, that was all up until she became a superstar, herself, and now, she and her group of friends want nothing to do with Trina.

Lastly, there was Robbie. Even though she would never admit it, Trina loved the way he always showered her with affection. She always felt as though she deserved better, but for some reason, Robbie was always the one boy who noticed her for all the right reasons. But yet again, with Tori changing the entire dynamic of that group of underclassmen, even Robbie has taken his attention elsewhere.

Now, Trina pays attention to herself. Everyone seems to think it's out of vanity—not necessity. And that is exactly what she's busy doing, this morning. Because no one else will.

"Trina. _Trina_!" she hears, finally, and turns her head to see her red-haired friend staring at her with big eyes.

"Finally…" Cat grumbles, and Trina can tell she's frustrated, but she pretends to take no heed. "I've been looking all over for you. In fact, I've been trying to get ahold of you for the past three weeks."

"I've been busy," Trina lies, while powdering her nose. "And it's not like we've had many opportunities to hang out at school since you're always with the juniors."

"You could hang out with us!" Trina scoffs like she wouldn't want to, but the truth is that they never really want her around. "Anyway, I have something to tell you. I wanted you to be the first person I told, because I think we're still best friends…"

Cat looks like she's waiting for a response, but Trina just continues doing things in her locker.

"Robbie's officially my boyfriend!"

Instead of looking at Cat, she quickly checks her phone. Sure enough, she had been so busy tending to herself that morning that she missed the notifications.

"Can't you please be happy for me, Trina?" Cat pleads.

Trina, who has miraculously and uncharacteristically kept her face free of expression, slams her locker shut. "You're making a huge mistake, Cat," she says, before walking away from her distraught friend.

xxx

Eventually, Trina comes to her senses. Tori, always sticking her nose in other people's business, schemes for them to end up in the same room as each other to work things out. She doesn't admit it, but Trina knows deep down that it isn't fair for her to ignore Cat. And she does miss her best friend, after all.

But getting back in Cat's good graces is not going to be as easy as she had anticipated. And it sucks for Trina because while she's dreading what she has to do, she also almost wants it—and that is certainly not going to mend her friendship with Cat.

She finds Robbie in the hallway, sitting against the lockers. Actually, all she can see is that curly mop he calls hair, because he's intently staring at his PearPad, like always. It takes her an awkward moment for her to sit down beside him, because her skirt is definitely not made for casually sitting on the floor.

"So, Cat wants us to get along," he says, by the time she's settled on the ground. She's a little startled, because his eyes don't even leave the screen. Plus, she's surprised Cat said anything to Robbie. Did she really think the problem was Trina and Robbie not getting along?

Trina plays with her bangles. If he's not going to look at her, why should she look at him? Right? "Yeah, I guess so…" she murmurs.

He finally shuts off his PearPad and looks up at her. "So, truce?" He offers his hand, which Trina just stares at for a moment.

"Robbie…" she starts, disregarding his offer. "I miss the way things used to be," she says, rolling her eyes. But as hard as she tries, she can't get the sincerity out of her voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks, narrowing his eyes. She knows she can't blame him for not being very fond of her anymore, but at the same time, she never expected it from Robbie, of all people.

"I just miss the way we were… The way things were between us," she says, trying to sound sweet as she makes a gesture between them. She gives him an innocent smile, but it doesn't change the almost offended expression on his face.

Robbie scoffs and Trina can hardly remember a time she's seen him so bitter. It almost pleases her that she's the one to have such a strong effect on him, but this isn't the way she wants it to be anymore. "You mean me pining after you, and you treating me like shit? Yeah, those were the days…" he mutters, rolling his eyes. Ever since Robbie stopped carrying Rex around all the time, he's been much more—well, _expressive_.

"Oh, come on, Robbie…" Trina struggles to keep the smile on her face as she playfully rolls her eyes. "That was just—you know, the game. It was how we worked."

Sighing gruffly, Robbie gathers up his things and stands up. Trina follows shortly after, never wanting to be _below_ anyone. "That's the thing… It wasn't a game to me, Trina."

"I know, and I realize that now—!"

"Now that I'm with Cat?" he interjects.

She stammers, but the words don't come out right away. She never anticipated it going this far. She thought that he would be groveling as soon as she came to him.

"It's not like that… It just took me hearing about you being with someone else to realize that—that—."

"If you can't say how you feel, then you might as well not feel that way at all!" he says, storming off.

"Robbie, wait!" Trina shouts and takes a step forward, but he's already turning the corner.

"I love you…" she whispers to the empty hall.


End file.
